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Every year, millions of people get sick because of cigarettes. Some just get coughs and other treatable diseases, but others suffer from fatal illnesses like cancer, emphysema, etc.

What’s worse is that it’s not only the smokers who are getting sick. There are people who do not even smoke and still get ill.

Are these smokers aware of these illnesses and how they affect other people? If so, why are they still smoking? More importantly, why are cigarettes still legal?

On the other side of the coin, there are also millions of people who get high on marijuana. These people take marijuana like how smokers take their cigarettes.

Unlike cigarettes, marijuana does not cause severe illnesses. As a matter of fact, it is considered to have healing properties. Scientists and doctors believe that marijuana can battle the cancerous effects of smoking cigarettes.

If marijuana really does have healing properties and is good for the body, why is it frowned upon? More importantly, why is it illegal?

It’s best to take a closer look on marijuana and cigarettes to know why one is legal and the other is not.

Cigarettes

Cigarettes are sticks that are made from the tobacco plant. It is considered a stimulant and helps energize its users. It is also said to be one of the most addicting substances.

Moreover, cigarettes contain approximately 600 chemicals which in turn create more than 7,000 chemicals when burned. Also, at least 69 of those chemicals have been found to be cancerous.

Some of the chemicals that are found in cigarettes are:

Acetone- used in nail polish removers

Acetic acid- used in hair dyes

Ammonia- used as a cleaning item

Arsenic- can be found in rat poison

Benzene- found in rubber cement

Butane- found in lighter fluids

Cadmium- used in battery acids

Formaldehyde- used in embalming

Lead- which can be found in batteries

Can you imagine how many people put this in their mouths and bodies every day? Smoking cigarettes is like smoking a stick of poison which gives you a slow, agonizing death.

Now that you know what cigarettes contain, it’s time to look at marijuana.

Marijuana

Marijuana is one of the famous names for the Cannabis plant. Aside from smoking it, there are also other ways of taking marijuana.

Moreover, it is also believed to help fight cancer and reduce the cancerous effects of cigarettes. It is also known to heal some psychological illnesses and chronic diseases.

Despite the differences between the two substances, they are still connected in the following ways:

Majority of people who tried marijuana have also tried smoking tobacco

Many marijuana smokers are also cigarette smokers

Nicotine dependence may increase with the consumption of both cannabis and tobacco

Lung damage is worse when using both products at the same time

So why is tobacco still legal and marijuana illegal?

There are many arguments regarding this. Here are some of the most notable ones:

The cigarette industry employs a lot of people because of its process.

Marijuana can grow in backyards and does not need to be processed.

In conclusion, revenues matter to big companies and the government. The bigger the revenue of the tobacco companies, the more tax the government can collect. On the other hand, growing marijuana is not as profitable as the tobacco business.